Real Betis will meet Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord at La Cartuja on Wednesday 21, with the Dutch side arriving for the third Champions League matchday on the back of a wild 4-3 league victory over Telstar.
Key takeaways
- Feyenoord lead the Eredivisie with 23 points from nine matches, four clear of AZ and PSV, who have each played once fewer.
- Gaoussou Diarra scored after just 25 seconds against Telstar, while Nacho Ferri and Sem Steijn supplied the other goals.
- Wednesday’s game in Seville is scheduled to begin at 21:00.
- Feyenoord have won their last two fixtures, scoring seven times, but have also conceded five goals across those matches.
- Borussia Dortmund, Betis’ next away Champions League opponents, drew 0-0 at Union Berlin and are now three games without a win in all competitions.
Feyenoord bring goals, questions at the back
The Rotterdam side’s 4-3 success at Telstar was another demonstration of their attacking strength, but also of the vulnerability Betis will hope to expose. Diarra’s early strike gave Feyenoord an immediate advantage, before Ferri and Steijn, who converted one from the penalty spot, took their tally to four.
Feyenoord had established a two-goal cushion during an open contest but were unable to see out the afternoon comfortably, enduring late pressure before securing the points. The result followed their 3-2 Champions League win over Como, meaning they have collected successive victories in the space of four days.
There are, however, selection concerns ahead of the trip to La Cartuja. Jordan Bos, Thomas Beelen, Bart Nieuwkoop and Gijs Smal are injured, while Jakub Moder remains a doubt. Luciano Valente, whose fitness had also been uncertain before the Telstar match, came on as a substitute.
Betis’ European opponents endure mixed weekend
Dortmund’s stalemate in Berlin extended a difficult run for the Bundesliga club. Bayern Munich’s 6-1 defeat of Leipzig moved them above Dortmund on goal difference at the top of the German table, while the forthcoming Betis opponents have now gone three matches without victory.
Elsewhere among Betis’ Champions League rivals, Slovan Bratislava won 3-0 away to Spartak Trnava and Lille drew 1-1 with Brest. Como were due to play Fiorentina on Sunday, while Arsenal were set to travel to Nottingham Forest.
Porto did not have a domestic fixture over the weekend and will face PSV on Tuesday, leaving Betis to focus first on a Feyenoord side whose league position commands respect, even if their latest two victories have revealed an opening at the other end of the pitch.
